China 9 Liberty 37 — One of the few (only?) westerns where sex is the main motivator, a wonderful spaghetti western with Fabio Testi and Jenny Agutter, with Warren Oates and a rare performance by Sam Peckingpaugh. An import... more »ant film in the ouvre of Monte Hellman, quintessential 70's cult director; a man who has made more great films than Coppola yet remains mostly unknown in his home country.
This moves at an unhurried pace, and you may feel as if you've seen much of it before, especially if you're a spaghetti western fan. But it's worth seeing for the character played by Warren Oates, a former gunfighter whose behavior swings from the sympathetic to the unforgivable and almost back again. In a modest Western like this, it's a pleasant surprise to see ambiguous characters. So that his conflict with Fabio Testi, a younger gunfighter who steals Oates' wife, is full of uncertainty. For all the familiar trappings, you're uncertain how it will end; and that should keep you watching. As the object of desire is Jenny Agutter in an under-written part. But you can see why Testi is smitten with her.
Gone With the West
This is a hilarious movie that simply requires a somewhat intelligent and dry sense of humor to be fully appreciated. It was not meant to be about proper editing, camera angles and sound mastering, in fact quite the opposite - so don't watch it if those things are of huge importance to you. However, if you enjoy a wry comedy that pokes fun at any and everything this one's for you. My favorite parts: the "Abide with me" bit, Sammy Davis Jr. is brilliant, the cat fight is (well, I'm actually speechless on that one), Little Moon trying to push the boulder down the mountain, and when she tries to woo James Caan with magic tricks I cried I was laughing so hard. I won't spoil how they blow up the town because that is the funniest part, except maybe for the end which is priceless - suddenly Little Moon speaks perfect English.« less
Format:DVD DVD Release Date: 08/30/2005 Release Year: 2005 Number of Discs: 1 SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 0 MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
